All about copyright, understanding music licensing, and government regulations.
SoundExchange has made a move to increase the rates paid to American music creators for international uses of their work. The rights management agency for performance royalties claims that U.S. music creators could be losing out on $170 million annually from this use case. Continue Reading
The Chinese government may have given a reprieve to Tencent Music Entertainment. Sources familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that the State Administration of Market Regulation, China’s antitrust authority, has suspended its investigation into the company. Continue Reading
Europe’s move to adopt new copyright laws was a top story in tech headlines last year. While music organizations all around the EU were part of the push for adoption, the UK was a notable presence in the lobbying effort. Now, the UK may not see the results of their efforts. Continue Reading
One of the more recent streaming service lawsuits is expanding its reach. In November, Sosa Entertainment and Pro Music Rights filed a suit against Spotify. Pro Music Rights has filed additional lawsuits against ten more streaming services. Continue Reading
A group of performers in Germany is staging a legal case to get a larger share of money in the streaming economy from record labels. Fourteen managers and lawyers representing some of the nation’s most notable stars have written to the heads of multiple labels. They questioned if the current basis for setting streaming payments is “legally compliant” and presented an “urgent and fundamental need” to review the methodology that underpins historical contracts with the major labels. Continue Reading
The Mechanical Licensing Collective has appointed its CEO. The group was formed through the Music Modernization Act, which became law in October 2018, and is tasked with overseeing the new blanket license for digital platforms to use musical works. Continue Reading
Spotify has reached a licensing deal with Warner Music Group, which ends a complicated international dispute between the companies. The two parties had been locked in a legal debate about Spotify’s launch in India last February. Continue Reading
Sonos has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that the tech giant infringed on patents in developing its smart speakers. The suit claims that Google infringed on five patents and seeks both financial damages and a ban on the sale of Google’s speakers, smartphones, and laptops in the U.S. Continue Reading
Genius Media Group has filed a lawsuit against Google and LyricFind, alleging that the two parties have been unlawfully taking content from its online lyrics database. The suit seeks at least $50 million in damages, as well as injunctions against both companies to bar them from continuing the practice. Continue Reading
Play it again, Congress. Legislators are making another effort to create performance royalties for radio airplay. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) have introduced the Ask Musicians for Music, or AM-FM, Act. Continue Reading
Sony has secured a licensing deal with Boomplay Music, a Chinese-owned music platform operating in Africa. This means that Boomplay now has agreements with all three of the major labels to bring their catalogs to its streaming and download platform. Continue Reading
The implementation of the Music Modernization Act took another important step forward today. The Mechanical Licensing Collective has secured a deal with the Digital Licensing Coordinator, which represents digital music services that will fund the launch and operation of the collective. Continue Reading